Roy Hodgson will wait to boost ranks

West Brom boss Roy Hodgson is cautioning fans against any major expectations in the transfer market.

Hodgson says he is "quite confident" of successfully conducting the second-half of the Premier League campaign with the squad already assembled at The Hawthorns.

Chairman Jeremy Peace is a notoriously reluctant business-chaser in the month-long new year market and it looks like 2012 will be no different.

The Baggies are looking to the future with their current interest in American defender Tim Ream and one of Scotland's best young prospects Scott Allan, the Dundee United midfielder.

But despite the loss of Zoltan Gera for the rest of the campaign, Hodgson has confirmed he is not chasing any major deals.

"We are not looking to improve or strengthen or lengthen our squad," he said, "but obviously if there are players out there that will help us get more points over the course of the season we would be happy to take them.

"It's not an easy time to buy players, but if there are any players out there that will be able to improve our squad, they'll be capable of also improving someone else's squad so there will be enormous competition I'm sure."

If anything Albion would like to lighten their load with Roman Bednar, the one-time Championship goal-taker who has become all but dormant under Hodgson, an obvious contender to be moved on.

And Hodgson also has the delicate issue of Simon Cox to resolve with the fringe midfield-forward understandably keen to find more first-team football to press his Ireland challenge ahead of next summer's European Championship finals.

But Hodgson said: "I'm confident in the squad, I am yes. I believe this group of players is good enough to achieve our objective which is to be in the league again when it kicks off in August.

"But like every other coach and manager we are constantly on the look out. If we can bring something about to make us even better then we would do it. I'm not prepared to say it's necessary or else.

"This same group of players showed last year that they can keep us up in the league and move us up to mid-table, why can't they do it again?"